Alexander taking his time

Brian Snow

04/08/2013

Chicago native Cliff Alexander was solid at the NY2LA Swish N Dish, and the five-star prospect continues to have major interest on the recruiting trail.

Five-star center Cliff Alexander is one of the truly elite prospects in the class of 2014. At 6-foot-8 with extremely long arms and nice athleticism, Alexander is a rare prospect who can dominate a game down low. Recruiting wise things are continuing to be busy for Alexander who is intent on taking his time before coming to a decision.

At Chicago (Ill.) Curie High School, Alexander and his teammates had a solid season, but he says it was a little short of their ultimate goal.

"We had an outstanding season this year," said Alexander. "As a team we didn't get the job done by winning state which was our goal, but I think I did a good job individually."

Because of his size and athleticism, Alexander is always the focus of opposing teams, and often times that means drawing double or triple teams on the offensive end. He admits that can be tough, but Alexander says it is something he has learned to play through.

"It gets frustrating at times so I just play through it and kick the ball out when I have to and score when I can," said Alexander.

During the year Alexander made a visit to Michigan State, and the Spartans have been on him as long as anybody. According to Alexander the coaching staff has made a big impression.

"I have visited Michigan State several times," said Alexander. "It was a great time hanging with the players and seeing the staff. Coach (Tom) Izzo is a great guy. The coaches have been great to me the entire time and I love them."

Also John Groce and Illinois have made Alexander a major priority. The Illini have pushed hard with him since Groce got the job roughly a year ago, and they are also right in the mix.

"I love Coach Groce and the whole coaching staff like Coach (Paris) Parham," said Alexander. "Everything is great down there and I really like Illinois."

At the moment Alexander has no real timeframe for his commitment, but he does have an idea of what he is looking for in a school.

"I look for a school that gets out and runs and has a great relationship with my family," he explained.

Alexander is considered the No. 2 center in the class of 2014 and the No. 5 prospect overall.